There are few things worse than sitting around your family room or living room enjoying some relaxing time when you feel a cold draft drifting past you. You get up and try to figure out what is causing it. You had been considering replacement windows and even replacement doors for your Kensington home in California, but one thing you never considered was energy efficiency.

Far too many people in California negate the benefits of energy efficiency when it comes to replacement windows and doors. However, just because it doesn’t get incredibly cold throughout much of the state, you still have to deal with very cold temperatures from time to time during the winter and hot temperatures throughout the summer.

During the winter is when you notice the draftiness in your replacement windows and doors more than any of the time. The higher you keep the temperature inside your home during the winter, and the colder it gets at night, the more you will notice the draft coming through.

There are number of things that you can do to reduce the draftiness in your home, especially when you are planning on purchasing replacement windows and doors.

1. Pay attention to insulation.

When your home was first built, the contractor or homebuilder might not have invested properly in insulating around windows and door frames. Even if they put insulation in, they might not have done it properly; they might have been in a hurry and jammed insulation into the gaps. While any insulation is better than none, certain types of fiberglass insulation needs to be placed in such a way that it is not compressed or crushed.

When you get replacement windows and doors, you want to make sure that you either choose new insulation to have the installer place around the window or choose a type of foam insulation that can fill in around the window frame.

If you feel the draft around your windows, and you notice that it is coming from the outside part of the window frame, especially around the molding, then this is likely the main culprit.

2.Focus on double glazing.

When you shop for replacement windows, you will get the option of choosing single pane glass, double glazing, and triple glazing. Triple glazing is a bit too much for Kensington, considering the fact that winters are not too harsh here.

Glazing essentially refers to the number of panes of glass that each window consists of. For example, a double glazed window will have two panes of glass with a space between them. That space will be vacuum sealed out to create a buffer between the outside air and the air inside your home. It can either be vacuum sealed or filled with argon or krypton gas. When it is filled with a gas, it will be more energy efficient than a double glazed window that is merely vacuum sealed.

When you choose double glazed windows that are sealed with argon or krypton gas, you will reduce the impact that drafts can have coming through the glass itself. The air outside will press against the glass and, without proper insulation, can get into your home much easier.

The more you invest in energy efficient windows, the more you will save because you will have fewer drafts. Triple glazing may be ideal for Alaska, North Dakota, and other extremely cold climates, but in Kensington, they are not really practical because of their added weight and cost.

3. Ensure windows function properly.

Always check to make sure that your windows, whether they are brand new or have been a part of your home for more than 20 years, function properly. This means that they slide along the track and close firmly.

If hardware is worn out, dirt gets in the tracks, or you have other issues with alignment or are unable to close the windows properly, then the drafts from outside will have an easier time getting into your home. Sometimes you can have a window professional come to your home and repair your old windows, but most of the time it is more economical to have them replaced with brand new windows that will seal properly when closed.

You can check the functionality of your windows at any time. You can do this at any season, including the coldest nights of the winter months. This can be done with a visual check to make sure that the window looks flushed when it is closed.

4. Have a qualified installer do the work.

When you have an experienced and qualified replacement window installer do the work, you will reduce the risk of having drafts later on. That is because these experienced professionals understand how important it is to not only install the windows properly, but to make sure that insulation and functionality are a top priority.

If you are wondering whether it is time for replacement windows and doors in your Kensington home, but feel that maybe the draft problem that you have with your current windows can be resolved without actually having to purchase brand new ones, contact an experienced window and door company to talk to a professional today.

The last thing you want is to have cold air pushing into your home during the winter because that will just be like taking money from your wallet and throwing it out into the wind. No one wants to waste their money and focusing on reducing draftiness of your windows can help you save money over time.